FRI celebrates 200th year of its first and oldest specimen

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Dehradun, Oct 23 (UNI) Forest Research Institute Botanical Division marked 200 years of its first and oldest specimen here today.

The specimen, Rosa Clinphylla, one of the species of Rose, was collected by a Surgeon Francis Hamilton on October 23, 1807 from Guwahati, Assam.

Apprising about the history of this rare species, Botanical Division Head Dr Sas Biswas said the specimen was presented to the FRI by one Dr King on September 19, 1916. Till 1975 the specimen of Rosa remained unknown lying in FRI Herbarium. The authenticity of the Rosa came in light only when one of the researchers picked the specimen for his thesis.

''It is the oldest of total 3,30,000 specimens present in the FRI Herbarium which has the credit of being the second largest in Indian sub-continent after Central National Herbarium Howrah, under Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata'', Dr Biswas said.

FRI Director Dr SS Negi said the FRI Herbarium has started digitisation of the entire species. He said that FRI was, however, mulling over compiling DNA of the specimens which were bound to decompose with time.

UNI

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